The Galaxy learned Saturday night that someone not named Landon Donovan can score for them.

They’ll also have to play their next game without someone named Dema Kovalenko.

All the Colorado Rapids needed was Conor Casey, who completed his hat trick with a goal in the 84th minute to hand the Galaxy a 3-2 defeat at Home Depot Center.

Casey’s third goal, set up after Colin Clark stole the ball off Sean Franklin’s foot, came with Colorado holding a man advantage after Kovalenko was sent off with a red card in the 59th minute.

The Galaxy’s first order of business, though, was to recover from some dubious history.

Colorado opened the game by scoring the second-fastest goal in MLS history and the Rapids didn’t even have the benefit of the kickoff to accomplish it.

“We gave ourselves a perfect start,” Rapids coach Gary Smith said. “I’m not sure you can get a goal quicker than that.”

An errant kickoff sent Galaxy defender Eddie Lewis racing to try and save it from going astray, but his touch ended on the foot of Colorado defender Ugo Ihemelu, who promptly sent it forward up the right sideline to Omar Cummings.

With wide-open space, Cummings threaded a pass to his left, ahead of sliding defender Omar Gonzalez yet in front of goalkeeper Josh Saunders, and Casey shot it into the open net.

“Let’s not kid anybody,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. “Our performance was terrible tonight. It started from the opening kickoff and it went throughout the match.

“There were an incredible number of mental mistakes. I’m embarrassed for our fans and for our organization and that’s what I told our team. There are no excuses for some of the goals we gave up tonight.”

The scoreboard read 0:16, though the official time was placed at 17 seconds. In any case, it was the second-quickest goal in league history, behind the 11 seconds it took for Dwayne DeRosario to score for San Jose on Sept. 27, 2003 against FC Dallas.

The fastest goal the Galaxy had ever allowed was 32 seconds by Johnny Torres of New England on June 7, 1998.

The Galaxy, who had to fight back from a two-goal deficit to salvage a tie in the opener – thanks to two goals from Donovan in the final 10 minutes – took the lead with two goals 11 minutes apart bridging halftime.

Donovan assisted on both.

In the 37th minute, he sent in a corner kick from the left and the 6-foot-5 Gonzalez soared in to head it into the net. He was helped by the fact that defender Jordan Harvey screened goalie Preston Burpo from making a play on the ball.

In the 48th minute, Franklin took off on a run up the right sideline, beat three players as he diverted to the middle of the field and passed to his left to Donovan just as he reached the box.

Donovan, left one-on-one with Burpo, crossed to his right and Alan Gordon casually redirected the ball into the net for the Galaxy’s first lead of the season.

It didn’t last long as Colorado rapidly retaliated with a familiar combination. Cummings sped down the right side and crossed to Casey, who was somehow forgotten, and he again beat Saunders to tie the game at 2-2 in the 49th minute.

“We go up, 2-1, and before we could smile and say let’s keep it, they get a goal,” Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein said.

“Again, that can’t happen.”

Kovalenko, no stranger to cautions, drew a straight red card when he tried a studs-up tackle of Mehdi Ballouchy in the 59th minute.

Referee Michael Kennedy earned a beverage cup to the back from the crowd for his call.

“Tonight he was a liability,” Arena said of Kovalenko’s play. “He puts our team in position where we’re short a man. . ..

“He was definitely a liability tonight. Until then, I thought he was OK.

“Dema has a bull’s-eye on his back in this league and when he puts himself in position on those kinds of plays – referees won’t admit this, but they have a bias and they have a book on players – he’s not going to get the benefit of the doubt.”

Down a man, the Galaxy had little margin for error and the one they made decided their fate for the night.

After Clark stole the ball from Franklin, he headed up the left sideline. When he drew Gonzalez toward him – and away from Casey – Clark passed upfield to Casey, who deked Saunders and put in a sharp-angled shot.

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